Friday, May 8, 2015

Chosen Thief (Forever Evermore #4) by Scarlett Dawn ~ Review

The second saga in the bestselling, groundbreaking Forever Evermore series begins with Chosen Thief, where the life of a skilled lawbreaker becomes much more than she ever wanted...

Caroline Jules knows death is imminent. She’s only 22, but as an inmate of Death Row in the most secure Mystical jail, what else could her future hold?

Caro has no idea. Her solitary, transient life is about to get flipped on its head when it is revealed that she is the new Prodigy Elemental, and she has responsibilities and ties that she can’t ever escape. Caro is attempting to run from a brutal past, but the Rulers have other plans for this thief’s future.

But the transition from a self-contained existence to life with the other Prodigies, the Kings and Queens, and even the Elders was never going to be easy, and Caro has secrets she’s loath to share. Suddenly she has friends, mentors, lovers — and they all want to know more about her than she is willing to reveal.

Will Caro ever escape the darkness of all she is, or will she fall deeper into the life that has been chosen for her?

Review...

When I read King Hall back in August of 2013, I was in love. The characters, the story, the EVERYTHING struck something in me that had me already loving this series. Then I read King Cave in January of 2014 and again, I fell head over heels. That lovely sequel cemented this series as one of my all-time favorites. Then King Tomb happened and Lily and Ezra's story was over. BUT... there were more books. More books that follow different characters, where we'd get to see old characters but the true focus would be these new characters.

I was a mix of nervous and excited about this continuation. It's the same world, and we DO see the old characters. A whole heck of a bunch, actually. But I was worried there wouldn't be that spark I felt with King Hall and the original trilogy that made me fall so far in love. I was still looking forward to this book. Goodness gracious, I was SO excited for this. But I was nervous, too, and that was okay, because I could handle being both. Chosen Thief released, and I've waited this long to have the time to pick it up, and...y'all.

Y'all.

Y'ALL.

This book... With this book, Scarlett Dawn has done it again. All my worries? My fears that there wouldn't be that SOMETHING to make this series stand out as one I adore? HA. Such a useless worry. Because this book brought back that EXACT same feeling I had with King Hall. Gah, I freaking love this series.

I freaking love this BOOK.

Caro is an elemental, a special kind of elemental at that. She's tough and mysterious, and completely interesting. I was a huge fan of her being an elemental. We didn't see that kind of mys much in the first three books. Other than Jack and a couple of Elders, we didn't see or know much. But now we're immersed in it with Caro (and Sin!), and that was so cool.

There are new characters mixed with old ones here. New Prodigies--Aria, London, and Brann (Brann, of course, being my favorite of these). New friends--SIN. Dear sweet baby goodness, I adored Sin. And then there was Leric, who I am for some reason a huge fan of. I'd originally thought it was a tie between Brann and Sin as my favorite characters, but now that I've finished the book I'm stuck between Sin and Leric. I just do not know. But I'm a fan nonetheless. These new characters along with Caro brought in all the banter and wit I've come to expect from these novels, and I loved it!

And our wonderful characters from the first three books are prominent in Chosen Thief, as well--Lily, Ezra, Pearl, and Jack. We see them as King Collins, Queen Ruckler, etc now, but in my mind they're always their first names. They were just as great as always, but their growth from the first books is extremely evident. They're grown up, strong, and can be responsible...but they're also still themselves. They've still got humor, and they're Rulers now! So they're training their Prodigies and acting like the Kings did when THEY were Prodigies. It was so great.

There are also Elders present, by the way. I feel like they will play more of a part in the next book(s) than they did in this one, however. Still, it was nice seeing them again. I love the original cast so much, it makes me incredibly happy that I don't really have to let them go yet, though there IS a new story happening with new characters.

The writing, the pace, and the general story and plot are just as engrossing as the other books in the series. I was stunned when I made it to the end--like, it's actually OVER? ALREADY? I want more. So. Bad. There was humor and sweetness, and all the things I look for and love in a book, along with all the things I've come to know, expect, and love from a Forever Evermore novel.

As far as romance goes... I don't know! It was there and sufficient and my heart feels so happy with this book. But I have no idea who Caro is going to end up with. I think I know who I WANT her to end up with, but I'm terrified that won't happen. There's Sin...who I enjoy, but I don't think he's really a love interest. An amazing friend, though. I want my own Sin. Then there's Isa, who is okay, but of all the other possibilities for love interests here I like her least. The way I see it, they have the smallest connection of all the others. I'd put Sin above her in the running for love interest. And then there's Brann, but I'm not touching that one. Love him. Don't know how likely an actual relationship is, though. Lastly, there is Leric. I am oddly attached to Leric. I want him to be around and stay around and I want to be WITH him. It's too early to tell what will happen, however. But I'm sure you can tell what I'm hoping for...

Overall, Chosen Thief was everything I could have hoped for and more in this fourth installment in the Forever Evermore series! Witty banter, quirky characters, and an addicting quality that is thread through every word all add up to equal a story I 100% ADORED. And now I'm anxiously awaiting the next book. I need it in my hands. Goodness, this waiting is already painful, but also so very worth it. This series is phenomenal.

5 stars - Everything I could have hoped for and more in this fantastic addition to one of my all-time favorite series!

I think it's awesome that this book fulfilled all of your hopes and expectations, and was just as amazing as the previous books. Elementals are interesting to read about. I miss paranormal stories! I need to read more of them :)